Even when I read novels, I get hungry.

“Back home, I told the cook girl to boil enough pots of water and to chop enough pork and vegetables to make a thousand dumplings, both steamed and boiled, with plenty of fresh ginger, good soy sauce and sweet vinegar for dipping.”

After reading that line from “The Kitchen God’s Wife,” by Amy Tan, it’s little wonder that I taught myself to make pot stickers. (Thank you to cookbook author Eileen Yin-Fei Lo.)

In the “The Fault in Our Stars,” John Green’s passage about green-garlic gnocchi drove me right to my recipe collection.

Both these dumpling passages entice the cook in me. At once, dumplings sound comforting, somewhat mysterious and exotic. For example, the tender dough that defies nature by encasing rich broth and other goodies in soup dumplings. Or traditional Bavarian leberknodelsuppe (liver dumplings in rich broth) with their filling warmth and unusual flavor.

Italian gnocchi (aka dumplings) can be found throughout Italy in various shapes and flavors. With their signature plump, ridge-back shape, they practically beg sauce to cling.

I’m partial to the variety lightened (if you can believe it) with potato. These take readily to all manner of seasonings and sauce.

I started making gnocchi at home when chef Paul Bertolli published his recipe in a 1999 issue of Fine Cooking magazine. His recipe remains my favorite. Six simple ingredients meld into light-as-a-feather dumplings begging for melted butter or a simple tomato sauce.

Make homemade gnocchi when there’s time to enjoy your kitchen and the company of some Italian opera. Start by squishing baked potatoes with cream, egg, salt and pepper. Then gently work in flour with delicate motions into a light dough. You can roll small nuggets of this dough and tattoo them with the tines of a fork into their classic gnocchi shape. Or simply cut the dough into miniature Tootsie-roll shapes.

The gnocchi can be cooked the same day or frozen for several weeks. They cook beautifully straight from the freezer.

The tomato, pancetta and orange sauce that follows is a riff on a favorite spaghetti recipe from the Sunshine Tavern in Portland. At first the addition of prunes seems odd, but they melt into the tomatoes, adding a mysterious sweetness that tastes terrific with the rich pancetta and delicate leeks.

The good news is that store-bought gnocchi puts this recipe squarely in my weeknight repertoire. Look for the best gnocchi in the refrigerated section of supermarkets.

For Green’s green-garlic gnocchi, I saute chopped green garlic, when it’s in season at farmers markets, in unsalted butter. At this time of the year, this combination tastes just fine.

Homemade Gnocchi

Adapted from Fine Cooking, May 1999

• 2 medium russet potatoes, about 1 pound, pierced all around
• 1 medium egg, lightly beaten
• 2-1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
• 6 ounces (about 1-1/3 cups) flour

Microwave potatoes on high until fork-tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool just enough to handle.

Peel potatoes, and push through a ricer (or a medium-mesh metal sieve) into a bowl. Stir in egg, cream, salt and nutmeg.

Pour flour onto work surface; make a well in center. Add potato mixture to well. Cut flour into potato mixture, working until dough is soft and a little elastic.

Roll dough into a large log; cut into 3 equal sections. Working on a floured surface, roll 1 section of dough into a long rope about 3/4 inch in diameter. Cut rope into 1/2-inch-long nuggets. Dip tines of a fork in flour; roll each nugget against the tines to score the nugget and create a rough oval. Use thumb to create a dimple in the oval. Drop onto floured baking sheet. Repeat to roll and shape all the dough. At this point gnocchi may be refrigerated or frozen until needed.

To cook, bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil. Drop gnocchi (frozen is OK) into water and cook until they float, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately, topped with tomato sauce or melted butter and cheese. Makes about 125 gnocchi.

Gnocchi With Tomato-Pancetta Sauce

• 1 recipe homemade gnocchi (at left) or 1 package (16 to 17 ounces) refrigerated gnocchi, cooked al dente (reserve 1/4 cup of cooking water)
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons EACH chopped chives and flat-leaf parsley
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• >> Sauce:
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 small leeks, root ends trimmed, white and light-green portion only
• 1 large or 2 small shallots, halved, thinly sliced
• 1 small or half a large red or orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 cup diced fire-roasted tomatoes with juices
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup pitted prunes, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• Salt and pepper, to taste

To make sauce: Heat oil in large skillet over medium. Add pancetta; cook until slightly crisp but still tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut leeks lengthwise in half, and rinse under cool running water to remove any grit between the leaves. Pat dry, then cut crosswise into thin slices.

Add leeks, shallot and bell pepper to skillet. Cook until soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and boil hard, 1 minute.

Add chicken broth, prunes, red pepper flakes, orange zest and juice. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until sauce is slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Season with salt (about 1/4 teaspoon) and pepper. (Sauce can be made up to several days in advance and refrigerated covered. Rewarm before serving.)

Add cooked gnocchi, 1/4 cup of gnocchi cooking water and Parmesan to sauce. Toss to coat. To serve, sprinkle with chives and parsley and more Parmesan and drizzle with a little olive oil. Serves 4.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 606 calories, 24 g total fat, 7 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 83 g carbohydrates, 15 g sugar, 15 g protein, 1,018 mg sodium, 8 g fiber